A Turk Vampire
by Vampire Turk
Summary: Vampires have taken over the Midgar Ruins, and the Turks are sent out to diffuse the ares. Reno takes it upon himself without help, gets turned into one of them, and struggles with the changeover. 'Nuff said. PostAdvent Children
1. Prologue

A Turk Vampire

Chapter 1:

_"You're too late, Turk." The vampire rose, laying the girl on the floor, her blood staining his fangs._

_Reno, shaking as anger started mounting inside, immediately knelt at his girlfriend's side. "What did you do to her?" the redhead responded, his voice barely a whisper. He touched her pale face, his fingers nimbly running down to the piercing at her neck. His tone rose in anger: "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!"_

_The vampire smirked, wiping the red blood from his face. "Oh, nothing." _

_"You call this nothing?!" Reno spat angrily, trying to clot the blood with his handkerchief._

_"Can't help it if I was hungry."_

_"You've killed her, you bastard."_

_"Don't be an idiot. She's not dead. Just paralyzed." The vampire shook his head. "She'll still be the same person, except for the vampiric side."_

_Reno glared at him. "You could've picked anyone else but her. Damn it, you could've bitten me instead . . . I wouldn't have cared. . . ." /i _

"Reno?" The familiar tone of voice, almost too chirpy for his ears, aroused him from his horrid memory. "Reno, wake up. Tseng's gonna be so mad if you we don't show up on time." Leave it to Elena to wake him from his catnap. Only when he was ten minutes from being late to their meeting.

"God, I'm awake." Reno jerked his head up pulling himself out of the chair. Yawning, he sleepily adjusted his goggles and rubbed his eyes. i _How can anyone be so cheery? ii _he wondered irritably.

"Come on, then." Elena gripped his jacket collar, forcefully dragging the redheaded Turk down the hall to their meeting room. Reno glared at her. It had been like this for several days now. Since he'd lost his girl, his mind was set on revenge against the vampires - damn blood-suckers, as he put it. Little did he know their mission would give him a chance for vengeance.

_p _After their debriefing from Tseng, Reno realized how perfect this was. Their mission was simple: they were being sent to the Midgar ruins to eliminate any of the creatures that were believed to be lurking at night. Vampires.

_p _"I think this is suicidal. I can't understand why we couldn't hire or send someone else to do this." Elena squirmed nervously. She hated vampires, he knew. Even the thought of getting bitten made her uncomfortable. Just as uncomfortable as the helicopter seats.

"Elena, calm down. We're qualified to handle this kind of thing." Tseng responded wiping his sword blade with an old cloth. Reno wrinkled his nose without looking back at his team. He figured it was better not to ask.

"Yeah, 'Lena. Besides, we're the Turks. Those blood-sucking bastards don't know what they're up against." His tone rose a little, a smirk forming on his lips. His partner, Rude, glanced up at him, noticing the smirk. He knew of Reno's grudge against vampires. "If you wanna stay behind, then that's your problem."

"I don't want to get killed, Reno. That's it."

"Reno, shut it, do your job and get us there." Tseng shook his head.

"This . . . your personal vendetta?" Rude asked.

Reno nodded. "You know me better than that, Rude." Revenge was the only thing on his mind.

_p _Standing in the dark shadow of the ruins gave him a slight shiver. Still the fear of the night didn't faze the redhead for even a second. He tossed the earpiece away, scowling. It had been Tseng's idea to use this outdated thing. It wouldn't do him an ounce of good anyway. He never used it.

A low hiss startled Reno slightly. Drawing out his EMR, the redhead attacked some large animal-like thing, stopping it with an electric shock. The thing that fell landed on the ground, whimpering like a child. The moonlight mixed with the darkness messed with the Turk's eyesight, making it hard to see.Something leapt at him, knocking him down onto the scrapped metal. Growling in pain, Reno forced himself to his feet. "What the hell was that?" he wondered aloud as something sharp came close to his neck.

"Not this time, vampire." The Turk kicked whatever or whoever it was, as the sound of more hissing caught his hearing. More of them . . . three this time. Something was amiss, he realized. There should've been a thud where the creature- vampire or whatever –had fallen.The next thing he heard was gunshots. He collapsed, lying on the ground as his EMR rolled from his grasp. Grasping his side, he felt a sticky liquid run through his fingers. Dark red color staining his hand. His blood.

_Damn it . . ._ Reno felt his eyes close slightly as throbbing pain burned his insides. _. . . I can't die . . . not now . ._ .

Veronica watched the human collapse from the shots. Dante, once again, overdid it. Three would've been fine, but five was overdoing it. Slowly, she came towards the victim, hearing his thoughts. _. . . I can't die . . . not now . . . _The man's scent was familiar, almost too familiar.

_Who is he_/i the vampress wondered, her hand tracing the side of his face. Gasping in shock, she recognized the scars on either cheek_. It can't be . . . the scars . . . it is. Reno, why does it have to be you . . . _She loosened the goggles, tossing them aside, and kissed his forehead. It had been so long since she'd seen him. _Please answer me,_ she begged, holding him tightly in her arms. The Turk stirred, wincing slightly. He groaned unable to see her or her features in the moonlight.

"Reno, can you hear me?"

"Who . . . what are you? Human or . . . vamp-" The redhead cringed coughing up blood. The vampress wiped the blood from his lips, licking it off her fingers. The taste was sweet to her lips, but fought her instincts. Instead she wiped the rest of the blood from his injuries, but he was fading so fast it seemed to mean nothing.

"An old friend," she responded, ". . . who won't let you die . . ." He was seconds from death, and it was now or never. Death, she concluded, wouldn't touch him. The vampress pulled the redhead's neck close to her mouth and bit down hard, sucking almost every last ounce of his blood, hoping to save him from mortality.

_ . . . Reno . . . please forgive me . . ._

Pulling away, she covered the marks her fangs had made with her saliva, sealing the slits on his neck. She undid her cloak, just as several gunshots rang out and fled, leaving the Turk laying there, his shape hidden by her cloth.

**Ts**eng cursed under his breath. The only vampires he, Rude, and Elena had seen disappeared before either of them could get a decent shot at them. Reno was unable to be contacted by the earpiece he was given, which meant the redhead had gotten rid of it by any means he could think of, and that he was MIA.

"That was my last bullet," he mumbled to himself. Neither Rude nor Elena could get a hold of their missing teammate. Elena had found Reno's goggles stained with blood while Rude was still out looking. Their team was exhausted from the mission, – a failed one at that- and at this rate, it would be one that lasted more than a single day. In two more hours, if Reno hadn't been found by then, they would continue tomorrow after resting for a while. Sleep was something they all needed.

"Sir," Elena tried to stifle a yawn. "Do you think those vampires got him?"

"It's possible he might've been taken, but I'm not jumping to any conclusions. We need to regroup for tomorrow's search." He returned his gun to its holster and retrieved his sword from the helicopter. "I take it Rude isn't finished searching yet."

"No, he hasn't." Elena responded.

Rude came across a red something. Cloth perhaps or maybe blood? He approached the spiky, furry -he didn't know what for certain- thing and slowly knelt beside it. This fiery red color was attached to something covered by a dark velvet cloth. That concealed something was in the shape of a person. A young person at that. Probably a vampire's victim left to die.Drawing back the cloth, the eyes behind his sunglasses widened.

"What the hell . . ." The supposed victim with fiery red hair was the one person he had gone to look for. His partner.


	2. Damned Transformation

Chapter 2:

Tseng's earpiece sputtered slightly as he placed it in his ear. "Yes?" Elena glanced at him worriedly.

"Sir," Rude's voice crackled in his ear.

"Rude, what is it?"

"Found him."

* * *

". . ." From what Rude could see, the redhead's expression across his face was rather peaceful. He was deathly pale, dark lines tracing his closed eyes, and both of his scars had darkened somehow. Placing a hand against Reno's face, his skin felt cold to the touch – ice cold. The Turk also noticed two marks near his partner's throat. With hardly any pulse or even a single breath, Rude suspected – but didn't immediately assume – the worst. Reno had been attacked and possibly killed by a vampire.

A lightheaded feeling kept him caught in what felt like a trance he couldn't wake from. The colors of black and bright green splotches flashed across his mind as he tried to move. His limbs felt heavy, as if he was tied down with weights. Feeling seemed lost in his limbs. His eyes wouldn't open nor would his hands move. For the time being.

The redhead felt someone touching his face and holding his right wrist. Probably checking for a pulse. A chill sent several twitches up his spine, ending at his fingertips and toes. Feeling began returning to his body, slowly waking from the trance. His senses were stronger than before he'd lost consciousness. Touch, smell, taste, hearing – they seemed sharper to him now. As for sight – well, he hadn't opened his eyes yet.

As both eyes opened, his vision – blurry at first – cleared. He saw the moonlight above in the dark sky for the first time he'd been out there. Then his eyes traveled from a dark skinned wrist he held in a vice-like grip to the face of a bald man wearing what looked like sunglasses. The redhead sat up, releasing his hold, feverishly pulling the Turk closer. A forbidden taste made his mouth go dry as the vampire advanced towards him. The taste of blood.

* * *

Rude tried to shove him off, but the redhead wouldn't let go. He pushed the vampire – his turned friend – away with the EMR he'd found. An electric shock sent the red-haired creature several feet back, scratching his face. This wasn't Reno. His partner was gone.

"What kind of cheap shot was that?" Reno regained his footing, as he wiped a bead of blood from his face where the EMR had struck him and licked it off his fingers grinning wickedly. "It'll take ya more than that, Rude." The mark had vanished, as if he hadn't even gotten hit.

A fight ensued, as Rude tried one trick after the other to knock Reno down. Anything he threw – fists mostly, even another shockwave from the redhead's EMR- wouldn't stop the vampire's attack. Every little mark, scratch, bruise or open wound healed itself making it almost seemingly impossible. This was harder because Reno was – no, used to be – his friend and partner.

Tiring out the Turk, Reno shoved him into what was left of a brick wall and held his former partner up by his shirt collar, leaning dangerously close to his throat. A trail of blood dripping down the side of his face momentarily distracted the vampire. Showing his incisors, the redhead tasted the blood with his tongue. Tart, yet desirably fresh, he thought smirking evilly. Hissing slightly, his fangs dipped close to Rude's throat, barely scraping his skin.

"Let him go." The click of a gun caught his sharp hearing as well as the nervous heartbeat of the person standing behind him. Her scent was one he recognized. _Elena._ Slowly he turned, releasing Rude from his grasp and faced the blonde haired girl in the Turk's blue suited uniform. A handgun held in front of him.

"Elena, you wouldn't shoot me, would you?" She studied her comrade's – no, she knew, former comrade – features for a moment before answering. He was the same person, but his neck was scarred with a vampire's bite and his normal aquamarine eyes had been changed. Blood red, she realized fearfully. The fight she'd witnessed was enough to prove he'd been turned. Slamming Rude into that wall; his injuries healing on their own- he wasn't the Reno she knew.

"If I still knew who you were, I wouldn't. But you're not Reno . . ." Elena's hand started shaking. Her gun went off, the bullet piercing him in the leg. Reno slumped for a second, falling to one knee, wincing as if it really hurt. "You're nothing more than one of them. You're a vampire . . . a monster . . ."

The redhead smirked, as his wound healed, the bullet falling to the ground as she took a step back startled. "What'd ya expect, 'Lena?" He gripped her shoulder, pinning her against another wall, her gun falling from her grasp. Elena tried to shove him away, but he was much stronger. He leaned close, his fangs touching her neck, a small hiss escaping his lips. ". . . you still talk too much . . ."

A sharp blade sliced him across his back, loosening his hold on Elena. Recoiling in pain, Reno turned to face another Turk, this time Tseng. His nose wrinkled at the same smell he had sensed earlier. Some strange herb he hated. The sword hit the vampire several more times, leaving dark burns in his skin.

Reno howled in agony. "Please . . . no more," he sobbed pleadingly. As he raised his head, Elena saw an unmistakable hurt look in his eyes. She glanced at Tseng, who said and did nothing. The blade was held close to Reno, who started shaking. Tseng knelt beside the red-haired vampire, the sword near his neck. The redhead dropped his head fatigued. ". . . n-no more . . ."

A figure appeared beside Elena, scaring her. Gulping down feelings of dread, she stood still as the dark figure passed by her. Tapping Tseng's shoulder, he moved away from Reno as she knelt beside the redhead. This figure was around her twenties, rather young. She gently stroked the redhead's face, a look of pity crossing her face. He responded to her touch with a low whimper, his hand clutching hers.

Inspecting his burns, the girl's expression was laced with sympathy. _Reno . . . it's okay . . ._ she responded telepathically. Reno stared at her, a frightened childlike glance in his eyes. _They won't hurt you . . ._ She gently rubbed his cheek, laying his head against her shoulder. The red-haired vampire's eyes closed; his form relaxing beside hers. Slowly, the girl slid her arms around the injured redhead, hearing him whimper. _I'm not going to hurt you . . ._

Holding Reno in her arms, she flashed the three remaining Turks a wicked glare. "If either of you think of hurting him, you are damned fools. Lay a finger on him or me," she hissed malevolently baring her fangs, "and I will hunt you down and kill every last one of you." Her figure, along with the redhead's, vanished before their very eyes.

Elena shuddered, gripping Tseng's arm. "What was that?"

"A vampress," he answered. "And a rather protective vampress at that."

"What's a vampress?"  
"A female vampire. It's easier to distinguish her and another vampire apart." Nodding, Elena glanced at the sword Tseng started to re-sheath.

"How'd you stop Reno?"

"I rubbed garlic over the blade. This keeps vampires away."


	3. Confusion of Self

Chapter 3:

Shutting his eyes, the redhead winced. "Goddamn it, that hurts," he growled defensively. "Can't ya be any gentler?"

"I'm being as gentle as I can." The vampress flashed him a menacing glare. "Or would you've rather been left for the Turks?" He gulped glancing at the floor. "If I hadn't gotten you out of there, they would've killed you." She tugged on his blazer. _Take it off, Reno._

_Why bother,_ he asked drowsily as she poked his side lightly. Reluctantly, he slid off the blazer, along with his shirt. The red-haired vampire had been out for twenty minutes before the vampress had gotten to their stay for the night, a run-down hotel with covered windows. It looked more like a basement than a hotel. Now a thunderstorm was brewing overhead.

"Because you've been hurt. Lie down," she ordered. The redhead scowled stubbornly crossing his arms. "Now." The vampress forcefully shoved him on the bed stomach-first.

"The last bruise I had healed on its own."

Veronica shook her head. "These didn't and haven't healed yet." Reno shuddered, feeling her hands touch the mark on his back. "Those Turks tried to kill you, but I wasn't about to let them." She gently placed a cold cloth over the deep cut and dripped a cold ointment over.

"Bullshit." Reno swore under his breath, propping up on his elbows. "They're my friends. Why would they wanna do that?"

Veronica shook her head sadly, stroking his hair. "They're not your friends anymore."

"What?" He stared at her stunned. "What the hell are you –"

"You attacked and alienated them. One by one."

The red-haired vampire shook his head disbelievingly. "I couldn't have . . ."He froze, remembering what had happened earlier that night. Fighting with them: Rude, then Elena, just because he had wanted the taste of blood. Elena's words swirled in his head: _. . . you're not Reno . . . you're nothing more than one of them . . . you're a vampire . . . a monster . . . _

The vampress gave a heavy sigh. "What happened can't be changed, Reno. The past stands as it is." Reno ran his fingers through his hair disbelievingly, feeling his eyes burn with tears. He didn't want this. An enemy of the Turks, the worst possible thing to be labeled. He was better dead than alive anyway.

"You should've left me there to die in their hands." His voice faltered slightly, swallowing back painful sobs. "I would've deserved it." Veronica, feeling his anguish, gripped his shoulder and pulled him close, cradling him in her arms.

"Reno, don't say that. There was nothing you could've done." She gently brushed several of his red bangs from his face, wiping a tear from his cheek. "We don't have much control over the urges at first. After some time, it calms itself down."

The redhead glanced at her helplessly. "Veronica, what are you talking about?"

Veronica traced the scar on his cheek. "The lust we have for blood. Both of us and other vampires. That's why you can't control yourself yet."

"You mean, why I tried to kill my friends," Reno responded miserably.

"If you want to put it that way, yeah," she retorted. "Humans are afraid of us. They can't understand this, and don't want to. Without those urges, we'll die of starvation." The vampress glanced at the redhead sadly, rolling up her sleeve. "Here." She bit her wrist and held it in front of him. "You need to drink."

Reno, feeling his stomach churn, blinked confused. "I already -"

"You didn't drink enough. You've only been a vampire for several hours. It'll help you feel better."

He shook his head. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I won't feel anything." She closed his fingers around her wrist, kissing the red scars on his cheeks. Reno sensed his pulse racing slightly as he felt her hand clasp around his. _Wait . . . how can I feel a pulse? I'm not even alive anymore._ The redhead felt a blazing fire surge through his veins. He shuddered, his eyes closing. _What is this . . ._

_You're sensing the blood flow. This is normal, _she explained softly. Her hand guided her wrist to his mouth. Please; you'll die if you don't.

He gave in gratefully, and started hungrily drinking the blood. The red-haired vampire hadn't killed anyone yet, but Veronica knew he'd have to come tomorrow evening. The redhead was only a fledgling vampire. She wasn't going to feed him every night. It wouldn't be easier for her, but tonight's storm gave a decent excuse to be inside.

After several minutes, she pulled him away. "That's a little more than enough." Pressing her finger over the slits on her wrist, the vampress glanced at the redhead lying against the bed covers. "You drank more than you really needed."

"No wonder I feel so sloshed," Reno mumbled, his words slurred slightly. He ran his tongue over his fangs, savoring the remaining drops in his mouth. "It's been so long since I've felt this good . . ."

"By tomorrow, you'll be hunting down your own meals. I'm not going to feed you again." He glanced up at her surprised.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Reno asked confused. Veronica flashed him a slight grin, stroking his hair. You don't mean what I almost did to-

"Don't worry about it so much." She gently brushed several bangs from over his face. "I'll teach you." The redhead reminded her of a little child wanting to know about the world with a curiosity that rivaled adults. Just like a child, he'd have to learn. The sun would be up in five minutes, she suddenly realized. Damn, does the time fly by.

Reno's eyes were starting to close as he tried to get up without falling, failing miserably. He yawned. "Geez, what time is it?"

"It's five in the morning," Veronica responded gently helping him lie back down. "The sun's gonna be up soon." She fastened a loose wooden board over a crack in the window with a nail and drew the bed covers to his shoulders. Her hand slid across his face, kissing him on the lips. Smiling softly, she laid down curling up beside him. She knew, glancing at the red-haired vampire, he still needed guidance. It had been a rough start for Reno, but it would get better.

The vampress closed her eyes, as her head collapsed against his shoulder. _Sweet dreams, Reno.

* * *

_

Elena heard a loud, long ringing in her head. She sat up groggily, trying to find her gun to shoot the clock in the room. The ringing stopped, giving some silence. Another sound, this time more like someone groaning about waking from sleep, she figured. It had been twelve hours since the Turks had left the ruins. Nine of those hours were spent dozing away, attempting to catch up on hours taken from their 'failed mission'. Where one of their team members fell behind.

But that wasn't the correct word, and she knew it. Her team member, Reno, had been killed heartlessly by those vampires, and he was now one of them. One of them – Elena shuddered at the thought. This meant something had to be done. But what? She couldn't just go after him on her own, for fear of getting bitten herself.

Tseng yawned, distracting her thoughts. He stretched, getting up from the couch, his normally straight hair bunched up from sleeping. "You're a pretty light sleeper," he mumbled, wiping bits of dust from his eyes.

"Um, you might want to-" she pointed to her hair and offered her brush. The Turk nodded, taking it. Elena glanced around the room, noticing the soft cushions on the green couch. Since when did the couch have such an odd color? She rubbed her eyes a second time, eyeing their other remaining teammate, Rude. He was still dozing away. She noted the bandage on his head where Reno had slammed him into the brick wall, half of it still hanging on his head.

"Should I-"

"I'll do it, Elena." Tseng handed her the brush back and firmly shook Rude. "Rude, get up." The bald man grunted slightly, sitting up. His hand touched the bandage on the back of his head gingerly, glancing at the other two.

"What can we do now - about Reno, I mean."

Tseng shook his head. "There's not much we can do at this point." He glanced from Rude to Elena. "We've all experienced first-hand what Reno can do to either one of us. I don't know enough about vampires to solve this problem, and I don't know who else has knowledge on them."

"What about Valentine?" Elena suggested. "I know he's not a Turk anymore, but he might help us." Tseng raised an eyebrow. The mention of the ex-Turk's name triggered a memory in his mind. "He was the lead expert on vampires when he was here. And the way things are now, we're going to need some outside assistance on this one."

Rude nodded. "Vincent's handled them . . . before."

"Yes, he has." Tseng pulled out his PHS. "The last time he fought off five at once. To this day, it still mystifies me how he even managed to get out of there without getting bitten." He dialed several digits and held the phone to his ear. "I wonder if he'll be interested in joining us in finishing off the vampires." Elena gave an uneasy silent sigh. It wasn't looking so good for Reno.

A somewhat dark voice answered to the ringing. "_Who is this?"_

"An old friend asking for your service with a small vampire problem."

_"What kind of vampire problem?"_ The voice hinted slight interest in the matter.

"A member of the Turks has disappeared." Tseng emphasized the last word.

_"What would you have me do? Kill the vampire responsible?"_

"No, not kill him. Actually, I'd like you to track down the vampire down for us."

"All I need is a description of him."

Elena gestured a 'yes' in sign language in one hand and spelled 'no' in the other, hoping she would get the 'no' instead of 'yes'. Tseng returned the 'yes' gesture before speaking.

"Get ready for a slight surprise when you see him. He's different from the other vampires out there."


	4. Vampire Hunter Valentine

Chapter 4:

Vincent closed the phone, shutting his eyes. Tseng's description of the vampire he was to track down resembled one of the Turks' own: red spiky hair with a ponytail, twin scars on his face- the vampire must've been the sore thumb, my-way-or-the-highway attitude, would-rather-go-solo-(if that was optional on any missions, though it never was)-member and rebel of the group. Also rather crazy with certain things, yet he was never seen without a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

He headed down to the ruins to begin his search. The sunset in the distance signaled the start of any vampire's appearance. Even two seconds after the sun was gone, the vampires would start coming out for fresh blood. Vincent knew he had to be as careful as always, or he'd end up like them. Since the previous fight with the vampires, he didn't get away without a scratch. A healing scar resided hidden under his right sleeve, a constant reminder that one careless mistake could cost him.  
The low hissing behind him alerted him of a vampire, the sound growing louder as he kept walking through the dilapidated ruins. He reached the remains of Aeris' church; the only parts left still standing being stone pillars and stained-glass windows. The steps of the vampire behind him grew softer and softer, causing Vincent to slowly draw his gun. A hand grasped his shoulder, a low familiar whisper catching his hearing.

"You're out rather early, Valentine," the voice responded. Vincent, with his gun raised, grasped him by the back shirt collar and pinned the small figure against a thick wall. "Take it easy, Vince."

"I thought I said you should never call me that."

The figure in his grasp grinned sheepishly, showing a set of fangs. "Chill out. I was only kidding around." He squirmed out of Vincent's grip, massaging his neck. "At least I don't hurt people when I bite them."  
"Dante, what you mean is they don't feel it." The cloaked figure reloaded his gun, the noise a low click. Another noise made Dante turn his head slightly. _What was that?_

"Probably another vampire," Vincent responded coldly. The dark purple-streaked haired vampire glanced at him quizzically. "Stay out of my thoughts."

* * *

'_Stay out of my thoughts'? Typical Valentine,_ the spiky redhead assumed mischievously. He sat there poised in the arches' shadows of the church ceiling, surveying the two figures below. He shuddered, feeling an abnormal dryness in his throat. The need for blood. It had to be. The vampire couldn't simply stay in this horribly uncomfortable post high up above their heads. He had to go down and catch them by surprise somehow. Closing his eyes, he leapt to the ground with hardly a sound.

Silently, Reno hid behind the pillar, glaring at the smaller figure. _Fuck it all . . ._ The black and dark purple-streaked haired vampire's red eyes caught his gaze, surprise mounting ever so slightly. _You'd better tell me who you are and what the hell is going on, he snapped irritably._

_Why do you care? _The redhead scoffed, scowling.

_Because, kid, I'll kill you if you don't. You're a fuckin' traitor._

_You're just an asshole._ Reno felt his anger start to rise. The vampire was a downright brat. No one could call Reno an asshole and get away with it. Not to mention, he was in league with Vincent Valentine.

He drew back behind the pillar and ducked under a broken stained-glass window. The high-pitched squeak of a rodent fixed in his hearing as he stepped on its tail. The redhead grasped the rat in his hands as a lump formed in his throat. He exhaled sharply, cracking the rodent's beady-eyed head clean off. Swallowing down any dread, he shut his eyes and drank whatever blood that was left. Tossing the dead rat to the side, he shuddered again, cringing from the taste.

"Ick," Reno mumbled scowling. "How disgusting can a rat's blood taste?"

_As disgusting as it can get, Reno._ The vampire froze, hidden under the shadow of the pillar, wondering where the hell the telepathic voice came from. _Don't be so alarmed. You'll get used to drinking human blood soon._

_Like hell I will._ The redheaded vampire shook his head. _I'm not even gonna touch another human being for the rest of my life, let alone drink their blood._

_Why not Reno?  
I just won't. _

_Oh, I get it._ The voice took on a more sarcastic tone. _You were human once, weren't you?_ A low evil chuckle sent shivers up the redhead's spine. _Well, I'd suggest you get fucking used to it. Nothing can turn you back. _

"Get out of my head," Reno snarled aloud. His sudden movement shattered a window behind him, alerting the other two in the dark place. A gunshot in his direction hurled a sliver of cement into his forehead. The next thing he knew, a claw was around his neck tightening metal spikes into his throat. "Wh-what the he-"

"Told you he was odd." Reno felt the metal tighten as the smell of burning flesh caught his sense of smell. . . . can't breathe . . . damn . . .  
"So, Reno of the Turks, is it?" The red haired vampire struggled to move, eyeing the red-cloaked man in front of him.

"V-Valentine, y-you-" He tried to scowl, but he couldn't free himself. The sharp claw loosened suddenly, his form falling into the stone floor. His vision grew blurry for a second, but not before his reflexes took over. The burn marks on his neck covered themselves with unscarred skin as he tried to strike the possible cloaked victim. A hard silver object clocked him upside the head, and the red haired vampire crashed to the stone floor.

Reno angrily got back up, cringing from the growling pains. "Don't interfere, Valentine." An inhuman hiss, more like an infuriated feline, escaped his lips, baring white sharp fangs. Vincent held a crucifix in his claw as the vampire attempted another useless assault and stopped Reno in his tracks.

"Don't start with me, Turk."

"I'm no damn Turk anymore," he snarled angrily, his red eyes full of rage.

Vincent took a step forward, as Reno tried to withstand being pushed back. "I hear your comrades are looking for you."  
"No shit, Sherlock. How long did that take ya, Valentine?" Vincent ignored the sharp remark, simply stepping forward again, and sending the redheaded vampire to his knees, quivering uncontrollably. "_Aaah, stop . ._ ."

"Not going to happen." The black-haired man, crucifix still held, knelt to the vampire's level. "You're coming with me, whether you like it or not."

Reno forced his head up, glaring into crimson-colored eyes. "I-I'm not gonna be your prisoner . . ." His head dropped, eyes slowly closing.

Vincent shook his head. "Reno, you have no other choice." He released a bag of red liquid at the vampire's feet. The pressure Reno felt just seconds ago disappeared as the figure stepped away.

"What the . . ." the vampire eyed the clear bag in front of him, sensing the same taste in his throat. His eyes scanned Vincent's face suspiciously as he grasped it in his hands. "Is this a trick?"

"I'm not here to kill you." Dante handed the redhead a straw as the pale dark haired figure spoke. "I could've killed you, but I didn't." Reno poked a small hole in the top of the bag, slowly tasting the liquid through a small sip. _Blood . . . human, at that_. He glanced at Vincent, slightly confused. "Consider this a peace offering." Reluctantly, the vampire finished the contents of the bag, leaving not even a drop behind. He dropped it, leaning against the broken stone pillar and sliding to the ground, already feeling as sloshed as before.

"The sun's gonna be up in a matter of hours." Dante covered his head with his dark cloak, hesitantly glancing at the sky.

"We've spent enough time here already." Vincent grasped Reno's shoulder, pulling the red haired vampire to his feet despite how drowsy he acted, and draped a black cloak over his head. "I have what I came for."

Reno struggled to stand up straight. His head dropped, his figure pulling the ex-Turk down with him. Vincent hoisted the redheaded vampire over his shoulder. He looked at Dante and nodded, letting the younger vampire scamper off.

_"Why . . . are you doing this, Valentine . . ."_ His voice came out close to a whisper.

"You're more valuable to us alive than dead."


	5. Deadly Mistake

Chapter 5

Rufus Shinra glanced out the window of the Shinra Mansion. It had been three years since the destruction of the company's main headquarters. Now, in its place, were the ruins of Midgar. Rebuilding the company was harder with fewer members than before Meteor. As for now, he spent his time at home, since nothing more could be accomplished.

However, this was the furthest thing from his mind. What was more important to him at this point was the result of the Turks' mission. From the filed reports, there had been a casualty – one of the Turks had gone "missing", as the file stated. Rufus was rather suspicious of that one word: Tseng never used the term "missing" in any of the Turks' reports. Something seemed amiss.

Sure, the Turks had failed in their mission; it was evident in Tseng's face the day they'd returned one member short. Reno was not with them, though he had been when they'd started. None of it seemed too unusual. And speaking of the redhead, there were rumors being spread throughout the entire company staff, the Turks included, that vampires were the creatures in the ruins and had in mind to rid the planet of the normal population. One of the vampires resembling someone they knew. Possibly the one Turk that ended up going missing in the mission.

Still, he hadn't finished reading it. Sighing, the blonde strode over to the leather chair facing the blazing fireplace. He figured it would just be simpler to read over the report entirely instead of assuming important details. As he settled into his chair, the report in hand, imaginary things as vampires didn't exist; he knew and still wasn't convinced that they were real. Even if the rumors were true, he wouldn't listen unless there was proof. As he settled into his chair, the report in hand, Rufus' eyes scanned the page for anything unusually abnormal. Shadows from the flames played across the dark room as the clouded sky covered the moonlight from streaming into the unlocked window, wind blowing out the only source of light.

Rufus frowned, glancing at the extinguished light, and stood up. He slid his hand into his pocket, pulling out a lighter and knelt beside the fireplace, lighting an already read page of the report. The lit paper was then tossed into the half-burnt wood, creating a small flame of orange-red flame.

"Don't do that. It's better without it." The blonde froze, not showing the least amount of fear or surprise. A dark figure grinned, showing a set of incisors, grasping Rufus' arm.

"How in blazes did you get in here? No one is allowed in without-"

The figure released the blonde's arm, untying a dark cloak, letting it fall to the gray carpet. "It's been quite a while, hasn't it, Mr. President?"

* * *

Elena shuddered. She stood at the door, a gun in her hand, and snuck in the room. It slammed shut, making her jump. This was nerve-wracking. Between her and Rude, Tseng had assigned her to assess the situation and report back. Saving the president was the top priority right now. This was a hell of a time to send the most fearful member of the Turks in. Why he hadn't considered sending Rude was none of her concern, but she'd find out eventually.

She slowly inched herself into the center of the room, the wooden floorboards creaking under her feet with every step. Elena swallowed hard, trying to calm herself. Okay, it's only one vampire this time. I hope. This was supposed to be easy: go in, find the president, and get him out. Standard stuff, Turk handbook-sort of things.

The female Turk checked the bullets in her gun: two silver babies. Two chances to get it right. If she missed both times, she was screwed. She wasn't bad with a weapon. But tonight, she acted as if this was her first mission and nervous that she'd fuck everything up.

_. . . Elena . . ._ She froze, trying to figure where the voice came from. Turning around, the female Turk caught a glimpse of twin red eyes glaring at her from the darkness. Out of the shadows, an auburn colored creature, a wolf, no bigger than Red XIII, appeared. Menacingly, it growled, baring its teeth, waiting to see what she would do first. Elena swallowed, taking a step back. Two hands grabbed her shoulders, a hot breath brushing the skin on her neck, and she let go of her gun.

"He can't hurt you. I won't let it." Elena pulled from the person's grasp, terrified. The figure that had stood behind her – the one who'd held her back, with spiky red hair, red eyes, and two scars, one under each eye – gave a damn familiar smirk, showing twin fangs. It was a vampire – no, her fallen comrade.

"Wh-What the hell are y-you-"

"Don't be so alarmed, Elena. I know why you're here." The vampire snapped his fingers, and the wolf stopped, whining. It dropped its head, as if in shame and lay down at Reno's feet. Elena shut her eyes, shaking her head. This couldn't be actually-

"Happening ? What did you expect?" Reno knelt to the wolf's level and started ruffling its fur. "I know exactly why you're here." He glanced at the blonde, grasping her dropped gun. "You're still afraid of vampires, aren't you?"

Elena nodded nervously. "But not of you." She swallowed hard, staring at the redhead she used to consider her partner. Reno seemed different since the last incident. Much calmer and more in control than before, but she wouldn't be fooled by some vampire-mind control trick. She eyed the vampire suspiciously, snatching her gun from his grasp and checking the two silver shots. "How did you -"

Reno smirked. "Long story. If I told you, you wouldn't understand." The vampire's smile faded as he stood up, not even facing Elena. "The one you're looking for isn't here."

The female Turk scowled. "But that's not possible," She snapped, astounded at his response.

Reno shook his head. "Elena, don't start -"

She grabbed a hold of his shirt collar. "The President has to be here." The vampire rolled his eyes, prying her fingers from his clothes. "I know he's here! There has to be proof he's here!"

"Elena, shut up!" he snarled, baring his fangs. Anger sparked in his eyes. "Stop badgering me about what his whereabouts are. I don't give a damn whether or not Rufus is still alive." She recoiled, stepping back fearfully, not wanting to find out what he was truly and fully capable of.

"Do you want proof of his existence?" The red haired vampire pointed at a form lying by the open window. "There's your proof." Elena gulped, approaching the motionless crumpled figure dressed in white stained red. She stared in horror, kneeling beside the one who headed the Shinra Company: Rufus Shinra.

Rufus laid still, blood staining his clothes. He had a gash above his right eye, as well as a sliced up shoulder and what looked like a gunshot wound. The dried blood from the injuries caked into the material of the white coat he always wore. Even his blonde hair was dipped with a touch of crimson liquid. His face was pale from the blood he'd lost, but he still had steady breathing.

Elena, disturbed from the scene, glanced at the red haired vampire disgusted. "What the hell did you do to him?"

"I'm not responsible for hurting him. The vampire you're looking for did this. He left after I showed up. This is his doing." Reno wiped a speck of dark dried liquid from his face and licked it off his fingers. "Not mine."

"Why should I believe or trust you?"

Reno shrugged. "You tell me."

Elena glanced at him. "You're a vampire." Taking a deep breath, she held her gun at the vampire's head. "I don't have to give you a reason why."

He smirked, glancing at the animal beside him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." The wolf raised its head, now sitting on its hind legs, growling. "If you shoot me I won't have control over this animal. You'll get attacked. That'll be your fault." The Turk shuddered, but she didn't drop her gun.

"Like hell I'll listen to you. You can't control me."  
"We'll see about that." He snapped his fingers a second time, as the wolf advanced, causing Elena to take aim at the animal. In a split second, the wolf lying dead on the floor, the vampire seized her and held her against the wall. "Elena," her name came out with a low hiss, "You shouldn't have wasted a shot on the wolf." He leaned closer, chuckling slightly.

Elena struggled under his grasp. "Let me go," she pleaded.

Reno let out a hollow laugh. "I don't think so." He smiled, showing both of his fangs. "Besides, you sealed your own fate coming alone."

Her voice fell to a whisper. "_For God's sake, don't do this_." His fangs scraped the skin of her neck. Elena gasped, trying with any last ounces of strength to pull away, but it was useless. Her hands fell from his crinkled jacket lapels, gradually coming to hang at her sides. Eyes at half-mast, she felt lightheaded, unable to move. Colors ran across her vision, green and white, then black.

Reno, holding the Turk, positioned her body upright beside the wall. The vampire wiped the blood dripping down his face on his hands and licked it off his fingers, a look of satisfaction in his eyes. Glancing at Elena's fallen form, he shook his head. "What a shame, Elena. You brought this on yourself . . ."


	6. Tseng's Last Resort

Chapter 6

"What a shame, Elena. You brought this on yourself . . ." Rufus forced himself to open his eyes, hearing a familiar voice echo through the room, one he knew belonged to the Turks' second-in-command. His glance shifted from the two figures near the wall to the wolf still lying there, as if it was dead. None of this could easily fool him. _So, the rumors are true . . . _The Shinra president closed them, faking unconsciousness. _Vampires do exist . . .

* * *

_

"_Elena, what's going on in there_?" Tseng felt several chills run up his spine, shifting uneasily from the abnormal dead silence. This wasn't supposed to take so long. Normally, she was the first to report in from any missions, but this was different. Vincent had suggested sending both Rude and Elena, so that one could fight off the vampires and the other could find the president. "Elena, answer me; did you find the president?" And to make things worse, she wasn't responding to his signals. Something had gone wrong.

". . . Elena?"

Vincent shook his head. "I don't think there's a need to keep that up." Tseng glanced up at the ex-Turk. The dark red-cloaked man was the leading expert on vampires, but that didn't mean that he might be wrong. "I have a dreadful feeling that the vampires may have gotten her."

"We're not jumping to any conclusions yet. To my knowledge, there was only one that went after Rufus Shinra." He checked the screen monitor, trying to make out who was who in the video. "All I can make out of this is Elena and one vampire. That's it."

Vincent studied the screen. "Can this surveillance show colors?"

"Colors? I don't follow."  
"Hair color, clothes, anything that has color – can it detect that?"

The black haired Turk sighed. "It can, but I don't remember how to get it to do that sort of thing."  
"This system isn't recent, is it?" Vincent asked, scanning the controls.  
"It's been here since you were a Turk." Tseng gestured to let him use the system and started to stand up. "If you wish to-"

"I don't need the chair. I learned how this thing worked before they added those." The Turk moved from in front of the controls, allowing Vincent to use the surveillance video. After moving some of the levers, he pressed a single button, creating a flood of color across the screen and removing the dark black shadows. "I take it the president is doing well?"

"Mr. Shinra recovered from the attack. He kept muttering something about vampires and old allies turning into enemies. No one can make heads or tails of what he means."

Vincent nodded. "And the vampire?"

"He said that there were two, one that resembled Reno, and the other was a female vampire – a vampress. Rambled on about he'd tried to stop them, but ended up with a gunshot to the side, and complained that the shotgun backfired. And, after the doctor left him alone, he told me that the vampire – not the vampress – tried to help his wounds stop bleeding."

"Well, it sounds as if your former teammate refused to kill the president."

Tseng shrugged. "It would seem that way, more or less."

The crimson-eyed figure gave a nod. "Here; this should've cleaned up the video a little further." He turned a knob to start the tape, and the video played. From what had been cleaned up, both men could see more of what had been hidden by the night. Elena could be seen as if this was filmed in the daytime, including a red haired vampire and a badly injured Rufus Shinra. Then, the rest of the tape played; Tseng dejectedly slumped in the chair, stunned and shocked by the murder caught on tape. Vincent reloaded his gun, pausing the tape, and closed his eyes.

"What should I do with the vampire responsible?"

Tseng wiped cold sweat from his forehead. "I –I don't know . . . find him, and . . . and make sure no more incidents like this happen." He shut his eyes, massaging the bridge of his nose.

Vincent turned to leave, but stopped, glancing back at the Turk. "Anything else-"

"Yes. Kill him when you get the chance."

* * *

The rain poured in torrents, dousing anything on the ground. No one was out, fearful of freezing to death in the storm, except for a figure standing on a rooftop that didn't seem to notice the rain falling. Or better yet, he didn't care. He let the water drown his clothes and allowed himself to get dripping wet. Dark red tears mingled with water. His vampire tears.

_Damn it, why?_ The redheaded vampire wiped his eyes, even though more tears fell. _. . . One of my closest friends is dead because of me . . ._ Reno swallowed back sobs, shaking his head, as he slowly slid against the wall beside a metal door, falling to the solid drenched stone roof. Holding his knees to his chest, he shut his eyes and buried his face into his arms. The blood red tears stained his clothes, dripping off onto the puddle of water surrounding him. _Elena, I-I'm so damn sorry . . . I never wanted this . . . this wretched undead life. _

_Don't beat yourself up over this._ Reno looked up, sensing the presence of another vampire. Veronica's scent caught his senses as he stood up, gazing in her direction.

"This is pathetic, Reno." She grabbed his arm, but he drew away from her. "There's something you have to know."  
"Why the hell should I listen to you?"

"If I was you, I'd shut up and listen," Veronica scowled. "We're being hunted down and killed on sight. The same Turks who tried to kill you are the ones responsible for the killings."

"So? What's the damn point?" Reno snarled furiously.

The vampress returned the same cold glare, no indication of sympathy in her eyes. "You're the reason why they're killing us. You killed one of them."

He felt his anger wane suddenly, the same painful emotion of guilt resurfacing. "I know I did . . . it was a mistake."

"You're a vampire. Things like this are gonna happen."

"How the hell am I supposed to get over this?"

Veronica showed only callousness. "Stop letting your damn emotions get in the way. You'll get yourself killed."

"It doesn't matter . . ." Reno seemed to be in his own world. "I should've let them kill me when they had the chance."

The vampress shoved him into the wall, shattering the hard brick to pieces. "Listen to me; the Turks who you thought were your friends are your enemies, and you only have yourself," she hissed, baring her fangs. "You're dead to them." Veronica dropped the red haired vampire in the same blood-and-water mess on the dark roof, and she grasped his shirt, pulling him close enough to whisper in his ear.

"Besides, who would want to befriend a vampire, especially a coward like you?" Reno swallowed hard, not believing what she'd just said_. I'm not a coward, Veronica. Maybe because you never had any friends, you think everyone else is. _

Veronica pinned him to the ground, hissing. _You bastard, how could you assume something like that? _

Reno shook his head slowly. _You never saved anyone in your life, and you know it. No wonder you never had any friends _

_That's a lie. I saved your sorry ass from dying because I cared enough about you._

_What kind of reward is a cursed life after death? I wanted to die, not become a vampire._ Her grip loosened. _I would've preferred to die and not come back._

_I thought I was doing you a favor. . ._ Veronica shoved Reno into the roof before turning to leave. _Fine then, you're on your own. I'm not gonna help you any-_

A gunshot cracked through the sky as the vampress slumped over. In a split second, the vampire had Veronica in his arms before laying her on the drenched aluminum roof.

_What the hell are you-?_ The vampress winced, gripping her side. She quivered slightly, leaving Reno to uneasiness.

_Veronica, don't. You'll make it worse._ Her red eyes, dull and dark, started to close.

"Re-Reno . . ." She dropped her head against his shoulder.

The redheaded vampire shut his eyes, holding her close as she started growing heavier. _No, not you too . . . come on, Veronica, hold on_.

_I . . . I can't . . ._ Her telepathic voice faltered, as her strength weakened_. . . . Damn silver . . ._ Both her eyes closed, as Reno inspected her wound. A gaping hole in her right shoulder, torn by a single silver bullet.

_What the hell?_

_Reno . . . listen to me. Don't trust them . . . _Veronica's hand gripped his tightly. _They're not to be trusted . . . this is what will happen to you if you . . ._ Her voice fell, her hand falling limp. _. .They're nothing more than . . ._ The vampress stopped, dead from the wound.

"Veronica . . ." He felt more tears fall. Not tears of sorrow. Tears of anger and fury. _The-The bastard . . . he . . . he will pay for this. Even . . ._ A deafening explosion erupted right under the roof, causing a cave-in, and both figures slipped through the opening. Reno grasped the metal frame near the opening, feeling the cold water splash over him and down into the black depths of the building floor below._ . . . Even if I have to kill him by risking my own life . . . _He released his hold, shutting his eyes and fell into the darkness below.


	7. Second Chance: Take it Or Leave it

Chapter 7

Dante shuddered, feeling an eerie chill run down his spine. He shifted back underneath the shadows, trying to figure out where the coldness came from. The vampire shut his eyes, fading into mist before a tall figure with dark black hair holding a silver gun in one hand passed by his position. Reforming into full figure form, he trailed behind the red cloaked figure as silently as he could.

_Vincent Valentine? What the hell is he up to?_ His hand grasped the man's shoulder, and a sharp claw gripped his neck, causing a sensation of prickling heat and pain burning his skin. Gritting his teeth, he tried to pull out, but he couldn't, due to the searing burn mark.

"_Let go of me. . ._"

A pair of crimson eyes glared back at his red ones. "Not until you tell me where Reno is, Dante."

Dante groaned, choking under his grip. He clawed helplessly at Vincent's grasp. ". . . He just took off somewhere. " Shaking, the vampire desperately tried to break from his hold.

"Where is he, Dante?"

"I-I don't know. . ." Strands of his hair fell over his face as Vincent dropped Dante onto the ground. Dark burn marks scarred his pale skin. "If-If I honestly knew, I'd tell you . . ."The vampire laid on his side, coughing up blood convulsing slightly. He feebly pulled a strand of hair from covering his face, just to find the triple barrel of Vincent's gun at his forehead.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Vincent closed his eyes, his finger tightening on the trigger. "V-Vincent, please . . . don't do this . . ."

"I have no choice."

* * *

Reno opened his eyes to nothing but darkness. He shoved the remnants of what was left of the roof aside, standing up and brushing several bits of gravel off his sleeves. Glancing at the opening above him, the vampire noted the moon hidden behind the darkened clouds. It was blood red, the color tingeing the edges of the clouds a darker color than that of the moon.

_I've never seen the moon like that before. That can't be normal._ He shrugged, looking away. _I honestly couldn't care one way or another._ The vampire's red eyes scanned the ground for traces of any source of blood_. I have got to find something to feed on._ At this rate, even rats would satisfy him, despite their taste

His eyes fixed on a figure in dark blue with black hair standing no more than several yards away and coming closer. Reno recognized who it was. His senses couldn't fool him. Between the last two Turks, the one he held some respect for, Tseng, held what looked like Vincent's triple-barrel handgun. The expression on his face made the vampire cringe slightly. Reno knew exactly what the purpose was at this moment: kill all the remaining vampires. And that included him as well.

_What the hell is he doing here?_ The vampire shuddered, feeling weak in the knees. _Damn . . . not again . . ._ Falling to the ground, he tried to glance behind him, but something held him back. Suddenly, a cold barrel touched the back of Reno's neck.

"Get up, vampire."

Vincent grasped the vampire by the throat with his metal claw, forcing him up from his place on the ground. Squirming out of his grip, Reno turned to face him throwing a dark glare. _You again, Valentine. What the fuck do you want?_

Vincent's eyes narrowed, striking Reno across the forehead, sending him sprawling to the ground. The red haired vampire scowled, feeling the cut heal on its own. "You were the one who shot Veronica, didn't you?"

Vincent suddenly shoved the vampire into the ground, just as a loud gunshot hit the ground near them. "No. If you want to stay alive and if you don't want the same fate as your girlfriend, you'd better trust me."

"Why the hell should I?" Reno growled, showing his fangs. "I know why you've come. I know you killed someone like me before you got here."

"Reno, your former partner, as well as Tseng, will hunt you and kill you on sight." The figure handed the vampire a plastic bag of red liquid. "They don't care if you were one of them."

"I don't need anyone else to remind me of why Elena is dead." Reno sighed irritated. "They have a decent reason to kill me." The vampire gave him a suspicious look. "Let me guess: Peace offering, right?"

Vincent nodded. "If you want to live, I suggest you come with me."


	8. Pale Aftershock

Chapter 8

Tseng closed his eyes, curling and uncurling both fists. He silently cursed, feeling slight irritation at Vincent. The Ex-Turk had been asked personally to go after Reno and get him of him before things got out of hand. The opposite had happened - Vincent didn't kill Reno; Reno got away; and Rude had missed by a fraction of a second to pin the vampire. Silver bullets weren't effective; their ineffective vampire knowledge gave no help to this particular assignment - silver was only good against werewolves, not vampires. It didn't matter even if the silver had been melted down from a crucifix - it didn't work on Reno, so it wouldn't help. At this rate, he'd end up avoiding the roads, for fear of running into other vampires.

Sighing, he glanced at his watch, the dial reading eleven-thirty. Tseng checked his gun for remaining shots, set the safety on, and walked back towards where he had parked his car. Time to get back and get some shut-eye.

He slowly stepped over a shot-up wooden board and froze. A blonde-haired girl with in torn-up clothes stumbled forward and leaned against the hood of the black car. For a minute, Tseng mentally debated whether or not to tell her to get away from the company car. Despite the fact that her jacket was stained with some dark color and torn at the sleeves, including several rips at the pantlegs, she didn't look too threatening.

The girl placed a hand to her head, and started to lose her balance. Within a few seconds, the Turk managed to catch her before touching the ground. Her eyes closed, dropping her head against his shoulder. Tseng paled slightly, noticing two healed slits near her throat. Possibly a vampire's bite.

She groaned, wincing as if in pain, and grasped Tseng's arm. Gently holding her up, he opened one of the doors and placed her in the passenger seat. Upon closer inspection, he noted a deathly pale color in her face despite small pink tints in her cheeks. Something was wrong, but Tseng couldn't place his finger on it.

"Wh-Where am I?"

"You're in a Shinra company car, in the dead of night." The girl stirred, slowly opening one eye at a time. Tseng swallowed, trying to shake off a dreadful feeling.

"Sh-Shinra?" She glanced at him weakly and self-consciously clasped a hand to her neck, covering the marks. "You mean the Shinra Company?" Tseng nodded, staring at her eyes. They were blood red -the eyes of a vampire.

She blinked, rubbing her eyes and the bridge of her nose before returning the identical look. "Ts-Tseng?"

The Turk, stunned she knew his name, found himself turning his thoughts back to the video recording. It wasn't possible.

"Elena?"

She lowered her gaze. "This isn't what it looks like."

"How is this-?"

"I-I don't know."

Tseng swallowed. "Elena, if you're still alive, then that means you're a -" He shook his head feverishly. "I don't want to -"

She slowly pulled herself to her feet, her hand resting on the top of the car. "I . . ."Her gaze shifted to two figures in the distance - one in pain, the other trying to avoid questions directed in his direction. The first was dressed in a torn-up blood-stained blazer, bight red hair pulled back in a ponytail, and the other wore nothing but a black jumpsuit and a dark red cape over his shoulders. _Vincent . . . Reno. . . _

Tseng touched her shoulder, making her jump a little. "Elena?"

"Tseng, I . . ." Elena gave him a troubled look, "I have to go . . ."

* * *

The heavy church door swung open with the wind, creating a strong enough breeze that moved yellow flowers in front of a broken stain-glass window. The moonlight, appearing through several silver-grey clouds, cast a spotlight on two figures entering through the open entrance, one more hidden than the other. The first, draped in red and black, took several steps towards the empty pews to his right while the other dragged his feet, keeping from coming in step behind him. As the crimson-cloaked man turned to look at his companion, the redhead directed his focus on a dark stain on his torn business jacket.

"Just several fucking degrees to the right, and I would've been satisfied. I would've gladly let him kill me." The redhead winced, tugging off his jacket sleeve. "If Tseng's aim wasn't off, he would've gotten me." He jabbed the injury with two of his long fingernails and forced out small fragments of a silver bullet despite a slight surge of pain.

"He wasn't planning to kill you. If he had-"

The vampire shook his head feverishly, violently overturning one of the wooden pews. "The hell you would know, Valentine! Tseng's not one to miss on purpose. You damn well know that!"

"Reno, there's no need-"

"And another thing, Valentine: why the hell didn't you take your chance on me when you had it?!"

"I could never think of killing a friend, despite what they are."

"What about Dante?" He grasped the cloaked figure by his collar tightly. "He was also a vampire and your friend! - how the hell could you kill him and not me?!"

Vincent's eyes narrowed. "If I hadn't, you'd be dead in place of your girlfriend." He grabbed Reno by his left shoulder, pinning him to the floor. The vampire cringed, giving a sharp exhale. A mark resembling a blackened burn tore through the vampire's shirt sleeve, leaving an exposed bullet wound.

Reno struggled under the man's grasp, twisting and turning until Vincent could no longer hold on. Within several seconds, the vampire had thrown him into a stained glass window. Vision starting to shift between blurred to clear, he tried to reorient himself. A hand grasped his collar, pulling him to his knees despite the throbbing pain in his head.

"Let go of me, Reno. . ."

A pair of red eyes glared in his. "Like hell I'll listen to you. Tell me the truth" - Reno pushed him against the broken edges of the window, allowing the glass slice through the red cloth, piercing his back - ". . . Who killed Veronica?"

Vincent's eyes closed to half-mast, his voice dropping to a hypnotized drone. ". . . I-I . . . It was . . ."

_Reno . . . let him go . . . _


	9. A Friendly Reunion

Chapter 9

_Reno . . . let him go. . . _

_What the hell?_ The vampire released his hold on Vincent, letting the figure collapse against the stone wall. Turning around, he saw a figure standing in the doorway. A blonde woman with ripped-up and dark red stained clothes slowly stepped inside, her look turned more towards the wooden floor than the flowers ahead of her. She stopped, pulling her eyes to match his gaze. Reno felt his throat go dry as he took a small step backwards. _This can't be happening . . ._

_What the hell do you think, Reno?_ She stopped, placing her hand against one of the pews to steady herself. As she fell, the vampire caught her before she fell to the floor. Her head fell against his shoulder, her red eyes closing for a moment. Reno swallowed hard, trying to suppress his shock.

"Elena, what are you doing here?" He noted differences in her appearance, ranging from pale skin to bright red eyes.

"I-I was looking for you." Elena winced, grasping his shirt collar. ". . . Ts-Tseng . . . he wants-"

"He wants me dead, along with the other vampires." She gave Reno a saddened nod, shutting her eyes. "What else does Tseng want?"

Her voice came out as a faint whisper. "I-I don't know . . ."

* * *

"Are you sure of this?" Tseng nodded, holding back a curse. Things were getting worse. Someone had to take the dead-weight blame. Usually, that blame fell on the Turks until it suffocated the life out of them. "I will not have rogue vampires scouring through Edge and the rest of this damn Planet!"

"I understand that, sir." He glanced at Rude, who nodded in agreement. "We both understand that."  
The blonde president shook his head, leaning back in his desk chair. "Look, the main concern I have is that stirring up the public or letting more rumors leak out of this corporation will result in mass hysteria."

"Sir, all the rumors, old or new, have been eliminated by any means necessary," Tseng responded. By elimination, he meant 'crushed under foot and toe' through anything the lab techies and both he and Rude came up with. "There is a slight problem regarding one of the missing members of the Turks."  
"By missing members, you mean Elena Starling?"

The dark haired man nodded. "She was reported dead in the file, but I have updated information that she may still be alive." Rude shot Tseng a stunned look, if the sunglasses were not covering his eyes. He was used to reading the bald Turk's glances through the shades.  
"Alive?" Rufus cocked an eyebrow. "How so?"

"To put it frankly, sir, she's one of them."

* * *

Vincent handed the redhead a thick blanket. "So, she's been alive all this time."

"And I would've known that _**how**_?!" Reno snapped, draping the blanket around Elena, who held it with one hand around her. "It just doesn't make any damn sense." He shook his head, feeling her hand grasp his. "How the hell can 'Lena still be alive and breathing?"

"You didn't kill her in the first place." The dark red-cloaked man searched his pockets for two round vials of bright cerulean liquid.

"Valentine, I killed her at the Shinra mansion. I remember every last detail, from entering the room to leaving out an open window without any guilt of my actions." Reno sighed shaking his head. "A moment earlier, she walked down that aisle"- he pointed at the open wooden church doors - "and nearly collapsed." The pale blonde glanced at the red haired vampire, clinging to his arm. Vincent held back a small chuckle. Reno scowled irritatedly. Elena simply shut her eyes, sighing. "And she won't let go of me."

"You turned her into a vampire, Reno. Because of it, she's not going to leave your side until you've given her a taste of your blood."  
Reno scoffed. "And how am I supposed to-" Vincent drew a deep laceration across the redhead's forearm.

"Oww!! What the hell are you-" A drop of blood fell from his arm, dripping onto Elena's cheek. She wiped the red bead with her finger and dabbed it on her tongue, then glanced at the red lines running down the vampire's arm.

"It'll heal on its own, Reno." Vincent shook his head, stood up, and started searching for where he left his weapon. The blonde vampire elbowed Reno in the ribs, earning a scowl from him. Elena, shaking her head, grabbed his arm, and sank her fangs into the laceration.

_Elena, do me a favor and don't hang on for too long. The last thing I need is you drinking my blood._ Reno sighed, glancing after Vincent. _What do you suppose Valentine was searching for/i _

_I know as much as you about what the hell has happened so far._ Elena pulled away, licking her lips. Reno pressed two fingers against the healing cut, feeling a little drained. "Ya satisfied, "Lena?" She nodded.

_Ya know, you could've asked me first._


	10. Troubles Ahead

Chapter 10

"As of now, you have two options: let Tseng find you and kill you, or this." He held up one of the clear vials to show both vampires. "It's a serum I've worked on, possibly a way to turn you both human again."

Reno, leaning against one of the fallen pillars, scoffed. "What makes you so sure I want to be human again anyway?"

Vincent shook his head. "I figured you'd be skeptical about this," he noted the blonde still clinging to the redhead's arm. "However, you're not the only one I'm referring to." Elena glanced at the vampire, shaking her head.

"Vincent, what does that serum do?"

The red caped figure eyed the vial for a moment before continuing. "This serum was a last resort from one of Hojo's warped experiments. Though it was created, it was never used and put up in storage for some time." Reno gave a sharp exhale, showing his fangs in disgust. "No one in the Shinra Company interacted with Hojo unless you were a lab tech. I was seventeen when I worked in the lab before I reached the ranks of the Turks, and I remember working on an earlier version of the serum."

"That long ago? Why the hell did they need it then?"

Vincent crossed his arms. "I had managed to catch an unknown figure with the same qualities as a vampire, except that he could stand the sunlight. The serum was used as a means to render his powers useless, but he died before it could be tested. Because of that, the serum was frozen and put away for later use."

Elena took the vial from Vincent. "Weren't there any trial tests done?"

"There were two children - only one survived. The other one didn't make it."

Reno scoffed. "Those aren't accurate tests. That doesn't show anything."

"You should talk." Vincent handed the redhead the other vial. "You were one of the test subjects, remember?" Elena glanced at the red-haired vampire stunned.

Reno shut his eyes, shuddering. "How the hell could I not!? I was only seven years old!" He looked away, his gaze resting on the yellow flowers. "It gave me nightmares for weeks at a time." The blonde vampire slid the vial in her pocket, gripping his shoulder as the redhead glared at Vincent. "Anything else you want to tell me that I don't know about?" The vampire held the vial at the black-haired man's face. "Perhaps what this damned thing does?"

Vincent nodded. "This will take some time to explain."

Reno pulled from Elena's grasp and lunged at him, holding Vincent against the stone wall, fangs bared. "We've got enough of that, Valentine," he hissed. "Start from the beginning, and don't you leave any fucking thing out."

* * *

Tseng flipped through the pages on his desk, hoping to find something of use. Rude was down in the lab, obtaining the necessary equipment he would have to use against the 'vampires'. There were only two, as far as he and the president knew, and this was a last resort to keep it that way.

He stopped, a paragraph catching his eye:

'_Vampires, though known to be immortal, are killed as simply as humans. The main way to kill them is through two steps - a stake through the heart, the head is to be chopped off and stuffed with garlic cloves. This method, somewhat gruesome, is effective to keep a vampire from coming back.'_

Grimacing, Tseng turned the page over, letting the words sink in. _A stake and garlic?_ He wondered how something that simple worked that well. Then he remembered Reno's reaction to his garlic-rubbed sword. It had left scars, dark black scars on the redhead's skin that never left. If the garlic was enough to burn, then a stake would do the rest of the job. It seemed too easy.

A knock at the door signaled that Rude was finished gathering what they needed. The Turk leader clumped everything together and set it in his desk folder. He gripped his sword, strapping it to his side.

"Sir?"

Tseng nodded. "We may have to pick up a few extra things along the way, Rude."

* * *

"So, if what you're saying is true, then-" Reno rolled his eyes, shaking his head. This was ridiculous. Hearing Vincent once was enough, but with Elena being slightly blonde; it had to be explained at least twice or more.

"You'll return to being human again." Vincent repeated exasperatedly, glancing at the red haired vampire. "How many times do I have to say this?"

"Get used to it, Valentine. 'Lena's a little slow." The vampire sighed, spitting out a lit cigarette. He glanced at the sky, fighting the dryness in his throat._ Whatever, this is starting to bore me._ The vampire slowly started to climb up the fallen stone pillar to reach the remains of the ceiling. He took one last look at the two figures below - Elena being her ditzy-blonde self and Vincent's growing irritation.

"But what if it doesn't work?"

"I couldn't say. It may have very fatal results."

Elena glanced at him worriedly. "Fatal results? You mean this could-"

"I doubt it would, but there's always some slight chance-" Vincent glanced where Reno was several moments ago. "Where'd Reno go off to?"

Elena swallowed hard, gazing up in the redhead's direction. "He's up there." _Reno, what the hell are you doing? _

_What's it look like, 'Lena?_ The redhead's answer struck a nerve in the blonde. _I'm being our lookout, so whenever the other two show up, we'll be gone from here. That 'nough info for ya?_

The female vampire crossed her arms glaring daggers in his direction. _You're gonna blow our cover, Reno. If you're killed first, I won't come looking for you._

Vincent glanced in the direction she pointed. "What does he see?"

Reno scoffed. _Fine, then, _b_e that way. _He glanced out at the city, noting several figures moving towards the church in a black Company car. Leaning further out, the vampire focused his eyes on the driver and the co-pilot. The tinted windows weren't dark enough to fool him. Suddenly shots were fired, causing him to lose his balance. The vampire fell into the pool of water, splashing both Elena and Vincent.

"So, 'lookout', what do you see?" the vampire asked sarcastically, wiping her coat sleeves.

_What_ _the hell . . . _Reno dragged himself out of the cold water and collapsed on the wooden floor, breathing heavily. Vincent managed to drag the vampire over to one of the pews and forced him to sit up. _. . . Damn it . . . _

"Reno, what did-" She stopped, noticing a charred hole tearing the redhead's jacket sleeve almost entirely off.

The redhead grimaced, clutching his shoulder. "Tseng . . . and Rude." Something had penetrated his skin, leaving a blackened exposed mark. He shut his eyes, wincing in pain. "They're . . . almost . . ."

"Holy shit . . ." Elena swallowed, grasping his hand. "How the hell-"

Vincent pried the vampire's hand loose, sliding a clawed finger into the wound and digging out two blobs of metal. Reno let out a piercing scream, puncturing her skin with his sharp nails. The dark haired man rubbed the inside of his right ear.

"Silver bullets." Elena, rubbing her hand, glanced from Vincent to Reno. "Melted-down crosses, I'll bet."

Reno shut his eyes, wincing. "Valentine . . ." The blonde vampire slid her arm around his waist and pulled his arm behind her neck, forcing him to stand. "We need to get out of here . . ." His injury was slowly healing, but nothing would make up for his lost strength.

"Vincent, he's right," Elena responded worriedly. "Isn't somewhere we can hide, other than here?"

The dark haired man nodded solemnly. "Follow me."

Tseng stood atop an adjacent rooftop, his gun still smoking at the end. His aim was dead on. Two melted cross-bullets should have done the job. Bullets that should have killed Reno the instant they hit him. Turk training taught him that a shot to the head was more fatal than a shot to the heart. But that applied to people, not vampires. Vampires were different than people. No matter how many times a vampire was shot, they would simply come back as if it had done nothing. That was with normal bullets. He had aimed for the vampire's head, but figured it would hurt worse in the heart.

The original plan was: Rude was supposed to kill Reno, but Tseng decided last minute that Rude should stay out of it. This was his vengeance against what happened to Elena in the Shinra Mansion. With Reno out of the way, he'd still have to kill Elena. That he would leave to Rude.

He dialed Rude on his PHS. "Have you found Reno's body?" At this point, Rude would be in the dilapidated church, performing the 'vampire hunter''s job of decapitating the vampire's remains. Something didn't feel right, like they had overlooked something.

_". . . He's not here."  
_". . . What did you say?"


	11. Vampiric Problems

Chapter 11

_"What do you mean he's not there?" _Vincent stood by an open window holding a radio to his ear, listening into the Turks' conversation.

_". . . There's no body."_

_"Damn it . . ." _Silence filled the call, giving Vincent a reason to smile. The Turks' plan was starting to go up in flames. The only articles of clothing that he left to throw Rude and Tseng off were Reno's blood-stained shirt and Elena's Turk blazer.

_Well, that should slow them down. . . ._ The crimson-eyed figure switched the radio off, clipping it to his belt and headed down the stairs to the darkest part of the building. _. . . Won't be long before their trail warms up. _His metal boots clanged down the stairs, his claw scraping the iron railing as he headed towards the basement.

It had been half an hour since Tseng had given the red haired vampire a taste of modern 'slaying'. Though he'd taken more than the usual amount necessary, the vampire was still not strong enough to stand on his own. The bullet that had lodged in his shoulder weakened him instantly, triggering a massive attack of bloodlust.

There were no more packets of refrigerated blood left. Vincent regretted this since he'd given Reno the first package, and he knew he'd run out eventually. Just how fast he'd run out - that he never knew. He had to improvise somehow, even if it meant doing the one thing he despised.

* * *

Elena gently propped Reno up against the dark wall, hearing his heart racing. "Reno . . ." She touched his shoulder, making his hiss in pain. "Sorry. . . " 

Reno glanced at her, breathing heavily. "It's not you, 'Lena." His red eyes shifted to the empty packages lying on the floor. _. . . Is there . . ._

"Vincent said he'd keep looking for more," Elena responded, answering his question. "I don't know if he has any left." The blonde vampire caught the sound of metal lightly touching stone. _Vincent's coming down the stairs._

_Hope Valentine's remembered to bring more blood. _

_I hope so too. _She gently gripped his shoulder, sensing the vibrations coming from the stairs. _Sounds like he's already here. _At that exact moment, the wooden door opened and a red cloaked figure stepped into the cold basement. Elena glanced in his direction to see nothing except the ex-Turk empty handed.

"Valentine, you forget something?"

Vincent sighed, kneeling at Reno's side. "I have good news and bad news. Which would you prefer?"

Reno shuddered, closing his eyes. "You didn't bring any blood . . ." His hand grabbed Vincent's shoulder, a loud hiss escaping his throat. "You said you would!"

"I don't have any left, Reno." He lightly touched the vampire's shoulder, pushing him away while adjusting the collar of his cape. Reno winced, giving a low hiss. "If I did, I would've brought it with me."

Elena swallowed, glancing in the direction of the open door. "If you don't have anymore, then what are we supposed to do?"

Vincent sighed heavily, readjusting the collar straps. "I knew this would happen somehow." He ripped the fabric, exposing a pale neck scratched with two twin healed marks.

"What the hell is that?" Reno stared at the dark scabs on the black-haired man's throat. He gulped shaking. "You've been bitten . . . " Vincent solemnly nodded. "But how come you're not-?"

"It's a long story, Reno." The left-clawed man leaned against the wall, closing his crimson eyes. "The only reason I wasn't turned is that the vampire who did this"- he pointed to the scabs - "Mistook me for someone else. I knew nothing of vampires at the time."

"Why help us if what bit you was what we are?" Elena responded. The redheaded vampire gave her a 'what the hell?' look, which she ignored. "I don't get it."

"It doesn't matter who was responsible." Vincent shook his head. "What matters is what happens to you both."

Reno shuddered, a heartbeat ringing in his ears. _I can't control this . . ._ He shut his eyes, clutching his wounded shoulder wincing. Elena placed her hand on his arm, which he shrugged off violently. The only thing he could sense was Vincent's blood.

". . . Valentine, why the hell do you care what happens to us anyway?" He gasped, shuddering. A clawed hand gripped his shirt collar, pulling him closer to the darkened scars. _. . . What the hell are you doing . . .?_

"Do you want the blood or not?"

Reno's eyes widened, giving a sharp exhale, a hard realization of what Vincent meant. The vampire shook his head feverishly. ". . . Don't force me to make this choice . . ." _I don't want to kill you._

"You will die if you choose not to drink."

* * *

Tseng traced a finger against the stone, wiping off dark red paint. More blood, more vampire victims. A body count had started, so far only 2. The frustration it took to track down Reno and Elena, rather than relieve itself, kept steadily growing. Another mission had failed, he muttered. Three was too many to count. The Turks, or what remained of them, had to get this last one right. Not fuck it up once more. 

"So, what should we do this time, sir?" Rude adjusted his sunglasses, glancing at the dark-haired Turk.

"I don't know." Tseng glanced over the articles they had obtained the previous night: two opposite pieces of clothing that belonged to their former teammates. The blood splotches from the clothes matched the color of the brick wall. Reno's shirt, stained crimson red, had been shredded where the Turk shot the vampire. As for the blazer, there was some blood, but not a whole lot, lined near the edges of the sleeves.

Both the shirt and the blazer, according to the lab techies, had the same blood type etched into the cloth. Except for a few small pieces of silver, the chemical analysis of the stains indicated that this was Reno's blood type. This meant, Tseng realized, that the redhead would still be alive but severely weak and desperately in need of blood. The vampire would probably go after anyone and drain the first person he'd run into on the street. "There has to be something we overlooked . . ."

Rude checked the count of silver bullets in the handgun. "There is, sir."

Tseng glanced at the bald Turk. "And what would that be?"

* * *

_Damn it . . ._ Reno wiped his mouth, licking the blood off his fingers. This was bad; the blood thirst was too much. Even after drinking Vincent's blood, he still craved more. The healed wound in his shoulder had made things worse. The redhead felt like he'd lost total control over his urges. _I'm screwed. If Rude or Tseng confront me, I'm fucking history. _

A light flashed in his general direction, blinding the vampire for a moment. Reno slunk underneath a set of wooden crates, trying to avoid getting caught. His eyes refocused, catching sight of a blonde holding up a limping pale figure. Shutting his eyes, he centered in on their conversation:

_"Vincent, you shouldn't be out here. You've lost too much blood."  
_

_"Elena, that's not the worst that could happen. Finding Reno is the top priority now . . ." _

Reno sunk lower behind the crates. The moment he'd left Vincent in the basement, he felt like someone or something else had control over him. When the redhead temporarily came to his senses, he found himself clutching a girl weakly pleading for him to stop while blood dripped down her throat. The tempting taste of blood made the vampire intoxicated, and instead of helping her, he killed her without knowing it. He just left her in the alley and took off. Unfortunately, she wasn't his only victim. The second was a 21-year old girl. Reno didn't have any idea what was happening: the moment he regained control a second time, the red haired vampire found that his hands were covered with her blood. This time he knew.

". . . What the hell is wrong with me?" he groaned, running his stained hands through his hair frustrated.

_Reno . . . where are you?_

He froze, swallowing down a lump in his throat. _Who the hell are you?_

_It's me, Reno. _A hand gripped his shoulder, making the redhead jumpy. _Good God, Reno. It's me, Elena. Your vampire-in-arms._

Reno shut his eyes. _Don't joke around like that, 'Lena. _He slowly pulled himself to his feet, brushing off several woodchips. _I don't need to hear any damn sarcasm. _A claw gripped his shoulder, making him stiffen.

". . . It's about time we caught up to you, Reno. . ." The red haired vampire unfroze, instantly grasping the metal arm cuff, catching a pale raven-haired figure around the waist. ". . . Didn't think I'd make it . . ."

The redhead swallowed, pulling on the man's red collar. "Take it easy, Vincent." There was dullness in the man's crimson irises, showing fatigue from loss of blood. Two healing scabs on his throat were hidden underneath torn cloth and several layers of bandages. " . . . This whole thing is my fault anyway."

"Don't blame yourself . . ." Vincent responded weakly.

Reno scoffed, propping him against the wall. "How can I not? I've caused enough problems, not to mention I've killed two people." Reno hung his head, dropping down beside the pale figure. The moment he let it slip, the vampire found himself pinned to the ground by the throat. _Wha-What the hell-?_ He gagged, clawing at Vincent's grip.

"You fool. You've given them a new trail to follow."


End file.
